These Tender Moments
by Cryssy-miu
Summary: Emma has had a hard day, but a playful touch of your son can always make the glooms go away. Set in the events after the curse is broken and Emma and her family are together. R


_(Just a little one shot between mother and son that takes place probably about six or seven months after the curse is broken, and the Charming family is living together. Since I don't know what the outcome of the show will be, I just used Storybrooke as a setting. Enjoy~!)_

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Emma angrily hurled her purse down once she reached her bedroom. The bag made a clattering sound as it slammed into a pair of old heels she had been meaning to throw out. Seeing the large boxes of junk she still had to take out just made her mood sour further.

It hadn't been the best day, but she harbored the record for terrible days anyway. There wasn't anything that made it particularly tragic. It had just been one of your typical, rainy, gloom addled days-with a mud puddle splashed at you by car tires to boot.

Her muscles aching from lifting heavy boxes from her room all day, the blonde fell gratefully onto her bed. A long nap looked good right about now. The apartment she shared with her parents and son was utterly empty other than her. Henry was just getting off school, and his grandparents had probably just picked him up.

With the energetic little boy probably well on his way to interrupt whatever sleep she might get, Emma knew she wouldn't have time to regenerate before she had to worry about her ten year old hopping on the bed.

In the time span it took for Emma to shut her eyes and snuggle into her pillow, Henry was suddenly there, on her bed, and weighing it down. The blonde thought that maybe if she kept her eyes closed Henry would assume she was sleeping. It wasn't that she didn't want to see her son, but she'd feel more into the idea of company after some time to rest.

As if Henry would indulge that though.

"Emma, hey!" He shook her shoulder. "Emma!" Adorably enough, he leaned down and pressed his ear to her chest. "Emma...?"

"She's sleeping," Emma whispered. This just got her an abrupt, playful pillow to the face.

"No you're not! Get up!" Henry laughed. The blonde only grimaced and rubbed her eyes. Normally, this would engage a somewhat playful response from the mother, but she felt more inclined to snap at him right now. Perhaps she was in a worse mood than she thought.

"Okay, I'm up," Emma sighed, as she almost sadly rose from her very much inviting pillow. "So what's up, kid? How was school?" She wasn't feeling too into the mood to talk, but thankfully she had the typical 'mom' questions to go on.

Of course, Henry was off like a jabbering parrot. "Oh, it was really fun! In art class we went out to the school yard and did paintings of things we found outside."

"That's good," Emma answered tiredly. Her lack of interest made her wince, but Henry didn't seem to notice. "Did you eat all the lunch your grandmother packed for you?"

"Umm...yes," Henry answered without thinking. His mother's gaze was suddenly more awake and sharp.

"Henry."

"Okay, well...I didn't eat the tuna sandwich. It was full of onions and peppers, and...and some other weird stuff." He shuddered, the way all kids were apt to do when facing vegetables. The blonde couldn't stay stern and gave a flicker of a smirk before the look of exhaustion returned.

As intuitive as he was, Henry had clicked in that his mother wasn't feeling her best. Really, by the way the woman was sprawled over her bed and clutching her blanket with a miserable look on her face, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. "You okay, Emma?"

"Peachy," Emma muttered. Gloom and aching muscles just screamed excellent health. She didn't want to upset her kid though, so she only smiled and gave a nod. "Why don't you go set the table for your grandmother, for when she gets back? I think she'll really appreciate it."

Henry, obviously didn't catch the hint, and like the gentle soul he was, only wanted to be there for his mother. "You know, when I had a bad stomachache the other night Grandma rubbed my tummy. It really helped me to relax and calm down, and I think it'll help you too!"

"Thanks, kid, but I..." Emma trailed off, her body giving a slight jump as Henry started to lightly rub her stomach. It was odd - wasn't the _mother_ supposed to do this with her son? - but it was comforting. Henry's hands were warm. Emma soon found the touch becoming uncomfortable, but in a strange way. Her body jerked slightly and she brushed his hands away.

"What's wrong, are you ticklish?" Henry laughed. A hint of mischief came to his eyes.

"No," Emma said automatically. Truth be told, she had no idea if she was or not. Growing up alone, she hadn't had many familial bonding moments with anyone, and never rough housed like that. If there was one thing she did know, it was that she didn't want to test that theory.

Henry gave a scheming smirk, and Emma quickly realized, he seemed to be ganging up on her. "I don't have your superpower, but I'm gonna see if you're lying!" Before she could protest or react, he plunged his hands towards her stomach.

"No-_no-_-Hen-!" The blonde felt beyond embarrassed at the high pitched squeal that came out of her mouth, but the mouse like pitch was soon drowned out by her own laughter as her son tickled her.

Henry laughed alongside with his mother, which only grew louder as Emma kicked a bunch of blankets up in her frenzy to try and escape his wiggling fingers. As no sound was more wonderful to Emma than her son's laughter, no sound made Henry happier than his mother's laughter.

Snow White and Prince James had just entered the apartment with armloads of groceries. Even over the crinkling of the paper bags, Snow could easily hear her daughter and grandson's laughter coming from the next room. She slowly turned to her Charming.

"Is that..._our_ daughter?"

Back in Emma's room, the twenty eight year old quickly found herself losing the battle to her ten year old son as he reduced her to hysterics, continuously scribbling his fingers over her sides and stomach. Breathless with giggles, his mother knocked her kid playfully in the face with a pillow, and caused him to tumble onto his back.

The playful duo didn't even realize Snow and James were watching them from the doorway, too engrossed in trying to win the battle. Emma quickly recuperated from her laughter and grabbed the child in a firm hold around his stomach.

"Umm, I think I'm gonna set the table for dinner now!" Henry rushed with a nervous grin, fighting in his birth mother's hold.

Emma only scoffed, as if that was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. "Yeah, right. You tickled me, kid, and now you have to deal with the consequences." She yanked back on her son, causing him to tumble back onto her chest, just as Henry saw his grandparents chuckling at the doorway.

"Grandma, Grandpa!" Henry laughed out desperately as his hands waved frantically for help. "Stop her!"

"He'll be with you in a moment," Emma politely told her mother and father, who in return smirked at each other and quietly closed the door, drowning out the last of the kid's pleas. What resulted next was the clear sound of plush, thumping noises as the pillows were once again sheathed, and Henry's shrieking laughter as his mother got his revenge for the earlier attack on her.

James and Snow White exchanged looks of pride and joy at the warm sounds coming from the bedroom. Both husband and wife were unable to keep the grins off their faces as they listened to their daughter and grandson. The sounds from the room-the happiness, and laughter, was only confirming their bond was becoming closer.

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_(Had to do this adorable idea with Emma and Henry. I always picture the stiffs to be very ticklish, hence this oneshot. XD I wasn't sure how to make Emma's relationship with her parents so for this oneshot they don't have much interactions. And around this time is probably where Emma has embraced the full responsibility of motherhood and starts spending even more time with Henry (they probably share a room)._

_Lastly, how...FANTASTIC was the season premiere?! That soul sucking monster reminded me of Darkrai!)  
_


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